Creative Act IX – Wood Bench Design

I’m very excited to finally start some stained glass work — it seems like forever since I’ve done anything more than doodle sketches. My biggest problem has been not having a work space but now a friend has offered to help me build a bench & the space to put it. Talk about motivation. So, I designed a rough wood workbench that can be taken apart [through the use of bolts instead of screws & glue] so it can be moved easily. It will be constructed in three stages with plans to later add shelves to hold glass sheets & dividers to keep them separated.

Glass Work Bench Stage IThe basic table is 4 ft x 6 ft standing 4 ft tall — this allows for a pretty good-sized work area & I can work at it standing or sitting on a stool. The top will be 1/4″ or 1/2″ plywood (A–>labeled below), cut from a 4’x8′ sheet. The legs are quite hefty — being made from 4″ x 4″ rough wood (C) — because glass weighs a lot. Stage I will include 2″x4″ side braces (F) from front to back, bolted on either the inside or the outside of the table legs.Glass Work Bench Stage II
in Stage II, two shelves (B) will be added to store the larger sheets of glass — the shelves will be no higher than 1 ft [probably less] from the floor to allow space between the table top for 3 ft sheets. They will be supported by 2″x4″ legs (D) at the front & back. Again, everything will be bolted together so portions can be removed when the table needs to be moved.

I have written up a supplies list for Stages I & II and plan on entering it into an Excel spreadsheet to add additional information planned for planning & budgeting the stages. [I might find a way to insert it here — for now, the written list!]The main supplies that have to be purchased are the plywood, 4×4 legs, & bolts. My helper has some 2x4s around & a 2’x4′ piece of plywood for the 2nd shelf, so no cost. We will be building Stage I a day or so after I’m finished my university work April 9th. In the meantime, I will be looking at ways to insert dividers into the shelves [probably router lines] & draw the Stage III bench. Then, I’d like to work on a glass project before completing Stages II & III of the bench.